1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a cell treatment device, a cell treatment cartridge and a body fluid treatment system.
2. Related Art
In the related art, a method of administering an anti-cancer agent or a method of irradiating with a radioactive ray has been employed as a method of attacking cancer. Also, in recent years, as a further advanced method, a method of using an antibody/molecules target medicine, a method of using a cancer vaccine, and a method of using a gene manipulation are under development. Although these methods are intended to attack the cancer, a sufficient effect cannot necessarily be obtained regarding the metastasis of cancer.
Death of human being due to cancer is caused by the metastasis of the cancer in many cases. In general, the metastasis of cancer is considered to occur in the following manner. First of all, cancer cells which form cancer of a primary focus invade a blood vessel or a lymph duct. Subsequently, the cancer cells having invaded the blood vessel and the lymph dust are transferred by a flow of blood or lymph fluid. Subsequently, the transferred cancer cells are fixed on and infiltrated into a tube wall of a separate tissue or the like apart from the primary focus. Then, new cancer (metastatic focus) is formed in the separate tissue or the like.
The cancer cells circulating in a human body through the blood vessel are referred to as a circulating cancer cell (CTC: Circulating Tumor Cell). For example, in JP-A-2005-010177, a method of isolating the circulating cancer cells and a reagent are disclosed. In the same publication, there is description saying that the circulating cancer cells can be separated and counted efficiently by causing magnetic particles including ligand molecules which bind specifically to the cancer cells to trap the cancer cells.
JP-A-2005-010177 is an example of related art.
However, in the method of attacking cancer, attacking normal cells simultaneously cannot be avoided, and the normal cells are damaged. Therefore, maintaining QOL (Quality Of Life) of patients high is difficult.
The method of isolating circulating cancer cells is intended to diagnose for early detection of cancer. In this method, blood is used as a sample, and foreign substances such as magnetic particles or the like are added. Therefore, the blood used for the diagnosis is difficult to use as blood preparation. When such a method is applied for removing the circulating cancer cells from the blood, it means that the foreign substances are mixed to the blood and, when such the blood is administered, there is the danger such as remarkable lowering of the QOL or the risk of the patient's life.